Lucknow: In a move to promote natural farming in the state the Uttar Pradesh government has decided to implement natural farming within a 5 kilometre radius on both banks of the Ganga and local rivers, official sources said here on Saturday.
Sources said that to facilitate natural farming, 1,886 farming clusters will be set up, with a dedicated budget of Rs 270.62 crore. “This action plan was recently approved in a state-level Agriculture Committee meeting. Besides, the cabinet has sanctioned Rs 1,191.51 crore for natural farming and the farm pond scheme,” they said.
The Yogi government’s latest budget has also allocated Rs 124 crore under the National Mission on Natural Farming to boost this initiative further. The vision is to extend natural farming practices along the banks of all local rivers across UP, ensuring a complete shift towards organic methods.
Sources said that by replacing chemical fertilizers and toxic pesticides with organic alternatives, the government aims to prevent harmful leaching into rivers, thus protecting water bodies from pollution.
It may be noted that under the Namami Gange Yojana, chemical-free farming is already being promoted in 27 districts along the Ganga, with natural farming currently practised in over 1,000 villages. Besides, the Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana is being implemented across 54 districts to support this transformation.
The government also envisions Bundelkhand, a region severely affected by stray cattle, as UP’s hub for natural farming. Since the first tenure of the Yogi government natural farming has expanded significantly, covering nearly 5,000 clusters and engaging over 18,000 farmers across 10,000 hectares.
Under Namami Gange, natural farming is practised on 6,500 hectares across 3,300 clusters, with more than one lakh farmers actively involved. As a result, the Indo-Gangetic plains, one of the world’s most fertile regions, now host the largest organic farming area in the state.
Experts at the Organic Farming Kumbh, held at the India Expo Center and Mart, Greater Noida, organised by the Organic Farming Association of India, recommended designating the Ganga plains for organic farming, citing the region’s naturally replenishing soil fertility, enhanced annually by floods.
Taking this forward, the Yogi government expanded organic farming across all districts along the Ganga, and now, the government is set to scale it up even further.
